BMW have “utmost respect” for Miguel Oliveira after Misano WorldSBK return

BMW has the “utmost respect” for Miguel Oliveira after the Portuguese rider returned to WorldSBK at Misano last weekend (12–14 June).

Oliveira had been out of racing since the beginning of May when he was involved in a crash on lap one of the Superpole Race at the Hungarian WorldSBK and suffered shoulder injuries.

He had missed both the Czech and Aragon rounds that followed the Hungarian Round in May and into June, but was able to return at Misano last weekend. The Portuguese rider was able to finish eighth in Race 1 and sixth in the Superpole Race, but retired in Race 2 as his physical condition finally took its toll.

“[Sunday] morning I woke up even more sore and in more pain,” said Miguel Oliveira after Race 2 at Misano.

“The Superpole race was good and it was actually was a big surprise, even for myself to me.

“But then during Race 2, I felt I couldn’t push through the pain because the limitation was so big, and I was not really in control of the bike.”

Despite the retirement, head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport Sven Blusch says the Bavarian marque has the “utmost respect” for the rider it signed from MotoGP for 2026.

“We have to give Miguel [Oliveira] the utmost respect this weekend,” said Blush.

“What he achieved was truly outstanding. We did not expect him to be able to set those lap times, to finish inside the top ten, and even almost challenge for a top-five result. 

“He was still suffering significant pain and was far from being 100 per cent fit, yet under those circumstances he extracted more than the maximum. 

“Retiring from the final race was the right decision. There simply was no point in taking any further risks.”

Oliveira rode at Misano alongside test rider Michael van der Mark, who was standing in for the injured Danilo Petrucci at the Italian’s home round after his own injuries sustained at Most in what he described as one of the worst crashes of his career.

Van der Mark himself was also full of praise for Oliveira’s effort.

“Honestly, all respect to Miguel [Oliveira],” he said. “Not many people see how much pain he’s been in, and to deliver like that yesterday and this morning – he did a fantastic job.”

Van der Mark’s own races resulted in a top-10 in the final race, having qualified 16th in Superpole despite setting his personal best lap time of the Misano World Circuit.

“It definitely hasn’t been an easy weekend coming back to WorldSBK, but I’ve enjoyed it,” he said.

“We also tried a lot of things to develop the bike. Honestly, in Superpole, it was again my fastest lap ever, and it felt so close. 

“Starting P16 isn’t ideal, but I’m still happy with the lap time. 

“In Race 1, unfortunately, we had a technical issue while we were running in the points, so that was a bummer. In the Superpole race, it was nice to fight with some guys, and it’s a shame to finish just outside the top-nine. Still, it gave me confidence for the afternoon. 

“In the second race [Race 2], I had a good start, good battles, and I was in the right spots early on, so I could maintain a good pace. Sam Lowes was behind me and pushed me a lot all the way to the finish. But it’s nice to end the weekend with a top-10.”